proper brewing of Whites?

I have brewed Bai Mudan (one of many names for White Peony) in almost everything except a Yixing. I don't think I would either. It is easy to brew, lots of leaf, 170-180 water. Brew til it smells just right.

There is no "proper method" per se. If you like your results, great, but be willing to experiment with variables such as time and temp.

This white is oft discussed under this category. If you do an advanced search for this forum only, you will get MANY results.

Why does the kind of tea pot make that much difference? Why gaiwan and not yixing for whites? Is it really that critical to take into account heat loss/retention during a two minute infusion? I know that yixing holds heat and that a thin pot like a gaiwan would dissipate heat faster, but is the rate of heat loss/retention really result in that much of a noticeable difference in the end product? I am drinking white peony right now brewed in yixing and it's great.

Considering the possibility that thick/thin pot makes a big difference I have a question. I posted this in puerh section and, judging from lack of response and the only response, that it doesn't make any difference. But what about greens or whites that are supposedly 'fussy' and intolerant of brewing methods and vessels?

How much does it affect tea leaves to sit idle in the pot for varying periods of time between infusions? If heat loss/retention is a big consideration during brewing with whites and greens, then wouldn't the repeated heating and cooling of the leaves be an issue also? Should you hurry up and brew-drink-brew-drink gong fu style, or is the result the same if you brew and go do something else letting the leaves and pot get cold while you drink , then return later to brew again, or doesn't it matter?

I think a more nuetral vessel such as a gaiwan or glass or similar non porous pot is just better for whites in general. The heat issue is of less importance to me. But a clay yixing pot will require a very long period of use before it would offer any benefit to white tea brewing, and might never.

I hate to use the word "deaden," however intitially a clay pot may take more away from a white tea than help it. This is partly because the clay will absorb some of the already subtle flavor of the white tea each time. It might take hundreds or thousands of sessions to begin to derive any benefit from yixing with such a soft tea as white.

I tried to use a yixing for Long Jing only. Many 100's of sessions later, I brewed in a gaiwan, it was simply better. I felt I was cheated for all those sessions.

Chip wrote:I think a more nuetral vessel such as a gaiwan or glass or similar non porous pot is just better for whites in general. The heat issue is of less importance to me. But a clay yixing pot will require a very long period of use before it would offer any benefit to white tea brewing, and might never.

I hate to use the word "deaden," however intitially a clay pot may take more away from a white tea than help it. This is partly because the clay will absorb some of the already subtle flavor of the white tea each time. It might take hundreds or thousands of sessions to begin to derive any benefit from yixing with such a soft tea as white.

I tried to use a yixing for Long Jing only. Many 100's of sessions later, I brewed in a gaiwan, it was simply better. I felt I was cheated for all those sessions.

Interesting answer. I really like silver needle and white peony, not so thrilled with snow bud, but I finally ordered a gaiwan a few days ago and now I'm going to be pacing around the carpet until it gets here. If you're right this gaiwan is going to see a lot of use.